1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to sprinkling system accessories, and in particular to a solution injector for underground sprinkler systems.
2. Background of the Invention
For thousands of years Man has sought improved methods of irrigation. The ancient Egyptians suffered through the annual flooding of the Nile, then planted crops in the well-irrigated flood plain after the waters receded. The Romans used aqueducts, the Chinese used paddies, and donkey-driven pumps were used in the western United States.
More recently, as applied to lawn watering, the underground sprinkler system has become the preferred irrigation method. In this type of irrigation scheme, pressurized water is forced through a network of underground pipes and emerges through sprinkler heads. These sprinkler heads are frequently of the "pop-up" type, which are normally spring-loaded to a retracted, ground level position below the tops of the surrounding grass. Then, in the presence of water pressure within the pipe to which they are connected, they "pop up" into an extended position above the height of the surrounding grass and dispense water spray. In this manner, an underground lawn sprinkler system incorporating "pop-up" sprinkler heads is virtually invisible when not in use.
Improvements on underground sprinkler systems have included means to inject fertilizers, pesticides or the like into the irrigation water sprayed out of the sprinkler heads. This arrangement permits fertilizing or spraying the lawn with pesticides in an efficient end economic fashion.
Given the ease and economy of applying fertilizers, pesticides or the like by means of a solution injector for underground sprinkler systems, it seems difficult to understand why these solution injectors do not enjoy widespread use. However, a review of the currently available devices reveals that these seem to be complex, expensive and difficult to use. In addition, they lack the bypass pipe and valve found to be indispensable to the operation of the instant invention, as well as the outflow pipe holes which have been found to eliminate bubbles in the system. At the sprinkler heads, these bubbles prevent uniform water distribution, so most of the fertilizer, pesticide or the like ends up concentrated around the sprinkler heads. This results in uneven or spotty lawn growth with some areas getting too much fertilizer or pesticide and other areas not enough.